Week II at the Gulf Coast Winter Classic welcomed Holly Shepherd of Grand Bay, Alabama and Loretta Patterson’s CHS Krooze back to the winner’s circle in the $25,000 Purina Animal Nutrition Grand Prix, presented by Fazzio’s Farm and Home Center. Just one week earlier, Krooze and Shepherd won the $25,000 Domino’s Grand Prix.

Shepherd said, “We got Krooze just before Gulfport last year and since then have shown for a total of five weeks here between last year and this year. She’s won four of the five Grand Prix we’ve entered here so far.”

The first round was set with a time allowed of 84 seconds. Shepherd and Krooze were the eighth to go in the order and the first to turn in a clear round in a time of 79.988 seconds. It wasn’t until Brian Murphy of Berryville, Virginia and Light Speed Equestrian’s Hyperios HS, the last to go in the first round, posted a clear round in a time of 81.569 seconds and insured a jump off.

First to go, Shepherd and CHS Krooze turned in a fault free jump off round in a time of 36.595 seconds. Murphy and Hyperios HS followed but earned four jump faults and finished in second place overall.

Shepherd commented, “It was a hard course today and while there weren’t any big issues, you just had to be very careful out there. There was a great field of riders and horses, but only two went clear. It felt like the course won today,” she said.

“I had to make sure I was clear today, so I played it a little safe,” continued Shepherd. “In the jump off round, I thought Brian might have had me at the third jump, but when he took the rail there, that really decided the class,” she added.

“Krooze and I are still getting to know each other,” commented Shepherd. “We got her just before Gulfport kicked off last year, but when I hurt my shoulder last year, I had to take a break in order to heal and didn’t go anywhere for a couple of months. She’s really quite complex, but is all business when she gets in the ring.

“We are quite the same in temperament, but she’s a little spicier than me,” she laughed. “She really is a horse of a lifetime and I’m so thankful to Loretta Patterson for the opportunity to ride her,” she added.

“Loretta Patterson has been with me for 22 years and is my best friend, next to my parents and my son. Her love for the horses is above and beyond and I am so lucky to have that sort of owner,” she added.

Third place was awarded to Highridge Farm, LLC’s Kaprio, ridden by Danielle Grice of Mount Pleasant, Tennessee, for their first round which they finished in 84.159 seconds which earned one time fault.

Collin Reynolds of Oxford, Pennsylvania aboard his own Chicco W finished in fourth place with their first-round time of 84.763 seconds which earned them one time fault.

Even though junior rider Bree Garey of Houston, Texas and her own Carvelo Z had no jump faults in their first round, their time of 85.467 seconds earned them two time faults and a fifth place ribbon.

Junior rider Emma Scott of Conroe, Texas and her own Vidam De Courcel placed sixth overall for their four fault first round in a time of 77.616.

Seventh was awarded to Light Speed Equestrian LLC’s Princeton and Elizabeth Schumann of Ocala, Florida for their four fault first round in a time of 78.169 seconds. Schumann also picked up the eleventh-place ribbon with Edith Rameika’s Mimmo TZ for their four fault first round in a time of 83.822 seconds.

Shannon Hicks of Lake Saint Louis, Missouri earned both the eighth and ninth place ribbons in the irons of Helen Gilbert’s Clearwater 5, for their four fault first round in a time of 79.383, and Emir D, for their four fault first round in 79.503 seconds.

Murphy returned to the winner’s circle for both the tenth and twelfth placings, this time in the irons of Edith Rameika’s Semi-Automatic C, for their four fault first round in a time of 82.787 seconds, and Light Speed Equestrian LLC’s Denison Park Combat, for their eight fault first round in a time of 76.551 seconds.

For more information and results, please visit horseshowsonline.com.

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